Trellis construction



Dec. 22, 1959 2,917,868

M. C. PRESNICK TRELLIS CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 23, 1957 '0, INVENTOR MICHAEL C(PRESNICK United States Patent TRELLIS CONSTRUCTION Michael C. Pre'snick, Flushing, N.Y.

I Application December 23, 1957,Serial No. 704,813

Claims. (Cl.-47-47) This invention relates to a trellis structure, and more particularly to a collapsible trellis of the type commonly used to support vines, plants and the like.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to a trellis structure which may be contained within a package of relatively small size for shipment, and which may be readily assembled when desired.

This invention further relates to a trellis structure of the type described, having a relatively high degree of resistance to displacement under the influence of load, wind, etc, when embedded in soil or the like, either that of e potted plant or in agarden.

Trellis structures heretofore known may be classified generally into two types, to wit, assemblies made by securing to a stake to be implanted in the ground a series or, arms or branches in such manner as to form the characteristic fan-like support, and assemblies wherein flexible arms or branches are formed integrally with the support stake or stem, and are fanned to the characteristic contour by a spreader stick fastened to each branch at spaced intervals along the said stick. Structures of the former type require for their successful fabrication, a great degree of craftsmanship, and while such structures are both attractive and serviceable, their cost necessarily reflects the high price which must be paid for skilled labor. a

The latteror integral type of trellis reflects an attempt to provide a prefabricated article susceptible of mass production techniques.' Integraltype trellises have not received widespread commercial acceptance due largely to theinferior appearance and structural rigidity of such articles, and to thedifliculties attendant upon correctly assembling the same. I

Accordingly, it-is an object of my invention to provide a rugged and attractive integral type trellis assembly, susceptible of mass production techniques, which permits speedy assembly without necessitating the exercise of untisiial skill'j'a'ndwithoutrequiringthe use of tools- Another object of this invention is to provide an assembly of the type described which may be compactly packaged, thereby facilitating marketing and shipment.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an assembly as above described, which is highly resistant to displacing influences, such as the load of the vine or plant, or wind or the like, after having once been implanted.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,

in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled trellis in accordance with my invention, used in connection With a potted plant;

Figure 2 is a magnified plan view of a portion of my trellis prior to assembly;

Figure 3 is a magnified section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

. a plurality of channels.

ure 2;

Figure 5 is a magnified section taken on the lines 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of my assembly at an intermediate stage of production;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a spreader in accordance with my invention;

Figure 8 is a section taken on the lines 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a magnified fragmentary view showing de tails of the latching operation; i

Figure 10 is a magnified fragmentary view of a spreader in accordance with an embodiment of my invention.

Describing my invention in detail, a length of stock material, preferably of a malleable, weatherproof metal such as aluminum, flexible in thin strips, is extruded or corresponding approximately to the height of the trellis desired may be severed from extended lengths of main stock material provided.

Branches 12 of the trellis assembly are preferably formed by longitudinally feeding a portion of the stock along its length into a circular saw assembly S, having a gang or plurality of blades B (see Figure 2) correspond-' ing in number to the number of web or channel portions.

11 joining the spaced ribs 10 (see Figure 5), thereby providing a series of branches 12 in parallelism, having free ends 13 extending from the stem portion 14. i

The branches 12 may be maintained in the characteris-.

- tic spread or fanned contour (see Figure l) by one or.

As all the branches but the center branch 12b (if an odd number is formed) will, in the finished assembly, lie angularly disposed relative to the spacer 15, the guide apertures 16 and 16a, corresponding to all such outer branches,

are provided with lateral slots 17, to receive the ridges 18 which remain after the web portions 11 are severed, 'as.

previously described.

For purposes which will appear hereafter, the outer-Y most apertures 16a are provided with lateral slots 17 only at their outermost shoulders 19, the inner shoulders 20 of'the apertures 16a being free from such slots.

In the spacer 15 of the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the non-central inner guide apertures 16' and the:

outershoulder 19' of the outermost guide apertures 16af are of a generally diamond shaped configuration, the said spacer 15' being of particular utility where a high degree of outward bowing of the branches 12 and 12a is encountered.

Prior to the assembly of the trellis structure, the inner ridges 18a of the tWo outermost branches 12a are filed or otherwise cut away at a predetermined point along their length, to define oppositely positioned notches 21.

The operation of assembling the trellis is carried out by threading the branches 12, 12a, 12b through the apertures 16, 16a, 161), respectively, of the spacer 15, and thereafter sliding the spreader 15 over the branches, and downwardly toward the stern portion 14. It will be readily recognized that as the spreader is advanced toward the stern, all but the center branch 12b will be bent outwardly, causing the assembly to assume a graceful fan-shaped configuration (see Figure 1) by the inherent resiliency of the branches or tine-like elements extending from the stem 14.

As the spreader 15 reaches the notched portions 21 of Patented Dec. 22, 1959.

A length of such stock material the the outer branches 12a, the trellis will be found to have reached the fully expanded condition. The spacer 15 is maintained in the said advanced position by the engagement of the shoulders 20 of the apertures 16a with the notches 21 of the outer branches 1211, the inward biasing pressure of the spread outer branches 12a, in resiliently resisting, spreading, serving to lock the spreader and outer branches against relative movement.

While I have illustrated my invention as used in connection with a single spreader, it is contemplated that in the formationof large sized garden trellises, two or more spreader members may be employed, to overcome the biasing action of the branches as well as to provide larger surface exposure for the creeping tendrils.

To facilitate embedding the stem 14 of my trellis in soil or the like, I have illustrated in Figure 2 a trellis having a soil penetrating end defined by angular faces 22, 23. A trellis in accordance with my invention is much more easily embedded, and will be found to have far greater resistance to dislodgment under the influence of an unbalanced plant load or Wind or the like, than trellises heretofore known. The provision of a shaped stem portion having reduced cross sectional area (see Figure 3) facilitates embedding of my trellis assembly, and the extending rib portions and web portions 11 provide increased resistance to longitudinal and lateral displacing influences.

The above described trellis structure may be disassembled for packaging or the like by manually biasing the outer branches 12a outwardly, causing the notches 21 to be disengaged from theshoulders 20, and then removing the spreader by sliding the same outwardly over the free ends 13 of the branches 12.

A trellis in accordance with my invention combines the advantages of simple and rapid assembly with rugged, durable design, in a device which is particularly well adapted to take advantage of the economies of mass production techniques.

The trellis assembly may be implanted with a miminm of effort, and when so implanted, is highly resistant to displacement. The use of light weight metal, such as aluminum, not only compares favorably with wood in low cost of shipment, but provides a degree of resiliency for the tine-like branches to assure permanency of springiness with respect of the spreaders, to maintain a predetermined contour.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A trellis structure comprising, in combination, a stem having a plurality of spaced parallel ribs joined by a webbing normal to the plane of said ribs, a plurality of flexible branches extending from and formed integrally with said stem by axially severing said web portions between said ribs along a length of said stem, a spreader bar having shoulders defining spaced openings corresponding in number to the number of said branches, each of said open- 2,917,868 r v r e ings of a dimension slidably to guide said branches and bias the latter outwardly as the said spreader bar is ad vanced over said branches toward said stem, said bar and a plurality of said branches including complemental retaining means actuated by the biasing pressure of said branches arranged to maintain said bar in advanced position relative to said stem.

2. A trellis in accordance with claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a plurality of keepers formed on said branches, said keepers arranged to become biased to seated position over said shoulders as said bar is advanced over said branches toward said stem.

3. A trellis structure adapted to be fixedly supported by implanting in soil or the like comprising a support stem arranged to be implanted in soil, said support stern comprising a web portion having a plurality of spaced parallel ribs joined to said web portion substantially normal to the plane of said web portion, said trellis including spreader branch members formed by longitudinally severing portions of said web portion between said ribs, the implanted portions of said web portion securing said, structure against lateral displacement and the implanted portions of said ribs securing said structure againstlongitudinal displacement.

4. A trellis forming stock comprising a body portio having a web and a multiplicity of laterally upstanding ribs to provide large surface exposure to the plane of the web, the web, upon severance between the ribs, being arranged to form a multiplicity of branches, the remnants of said severed web providing ridges extending from said ribs.

5. A trellis structure comprising a stem having a plurality of spaced parallel ribs joined by a webbing normal to the plane of said ribs, a plurality of flexible branches extending from said stem, each of said branches comprising one of said ribs and a portion of said webbing, a spreader bar having shoulders defining spaced openings corresponding in number to the number of said branches,

each of said openings of a dimension slidably to receivesaid branches to bias the latter outwardly as said spreader is advanced over said branches toward said stem, the two outermost branches including keepers defined by portions of said webbing, said keepers being arranged to become biased to seated position over said shoulders as said bar. is advanced over said branches toward said stern.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,092 Rowe Dec. 8, 1931 2,014,175 Hart Sept. 10, 1935 2,725,676 Pucci Dec. 6,,1955

2,799,122 Iannone July 16. 1957.,

FOREIGN PATENTS 18,735 Germany Aug. 23, 1.882 

